


Diamonds Are Forever

by anonomousfan



Category: Xiaolin Showdown (Cartoon)
Genre: Chinese Food, Engagement, F/M, New York City
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-11
Updated: 2014-03-11
Packaged: 2018-01-15 10:08:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1301074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonomousfan/pseuds/anonomousfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Chase runs the errand of his life and proves to the world that love is strong enough to prevent him from maiming someone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Diamonds Are Forever

Chase was….irritated. Normally, the situation he was in currently would cause him to be absolutely outraged but the occasion that had caused said situation was much too pleasant to cause any lingering anger. So, as Chase trudged through the cold windy streets of New York, wearing nothing but a pair of old faded jeans and a red sweatshirt that had seen better days, he was only irritated. Which was really quite a feat since he also happened to be striding along the icy sidewalk in a pair of flip-flops. He looked like a complete bum, and the looks of haughty disdain Chase was receiving from the patrons of the most expensive shopping district of Manhattan certainly wasn't helping matters. But he had a mission to accomplish, something far more important than the rich pigs that surrounded him. So Chase strode determinately on, too focused on finding his destination to care about the snow blowing in his face and the whispers of the pedestrians he passed. After another fifteen minutes of walking Chase was just about ready to hurl said pedestrians against the wall but his potential victims were saved as a gold encrusted sign came into view. Chase almost missed the marker as the wind blew it violently on its hinges. The immortal sighed in relief upon reading the sign, his shoulders sagging happily at the thought of the toasty interior that awaited him.

Sinclairs was the type of establishment that most could only fantasize about entering. It was perhaps one of the world's premier jewelers, boasting only the finest quality gemstones with price tags that barred all but a select few customers from entering its doors. The store itself was housed in a former nineteenth century bank, its hulking marble visage giving it the elegance it needed to attract its wealthy clientele and the intimidation it needed to keep out the common riffraff. There were only a few display windows. They were tiny, square, and housed necklaces that likely cost a small fortune. They were not there to attract customers walking down the street. These priceless jewels merely stood their vigil as decorations, ornaments that assured their clientele of the store's quality whilst scaring off any who were undaunted by the grand building. Aside from these displays there was no other decoration, save for the gold plated sign that stuck out over the glass door. Chase could tell that the gold color wasn't paint. This was not the kind of place where Joe the salary man went jewelry shopping.

This was the place from which Chase would purchase an engagement ring.

The thought sent of a twinge of nerves in his stomach that he rarely felt in all his fifteen hundred years. Chase rather ruthlessly stamped it down. He would NOT have butterflies in his stomach like some kind of lovesick fool. Although, he thought with a bit of embarrassed irritation, if he was not a lovesick fool he wouldn't be standing in front of a jewelry store in order to procure the ring he would need when he proposed to a Xiaolin Dragon. Yes, Chase thought with a pinch of his face, he was indeed a lovesick fool. He was also a fearsome Heylin warrior and with that thought Chase strode up to the glass doors, on which the store name was engraved in fancy cursive. He grasped the handle, his eye twitching as a giggle from next door sounded at the action.

"I wonder if he even knows you need an appointment just to go in there." His hearing picked up the haughty feminine voice despite the fact that she was a reasonable distance away. After her statement, a chorus of feminine giggles sounded as her friends joined in on the fun they were having at his expense. He couldn't blame them. From the sound of things, they were likely a group of snotty teenagers leeching of their father's money and he knew he looked like the very last sort of person to visit the store due to his attire. Chase heaved a sigh. He had Kimiko to thank for that.

Every year, during Christmas the monks were given about three weeks to visit their families for the holidays. It was a period that him and Kimiko took great advantage of, as it was normally difficult for the fire dragon to sneak out of the temple to meet with him. When she did manage to get out it was usually for only a few hours during the late evening. Needless to say, it made dating difficult but they managed. The Christmas break was a different matter entirely. Kimiko usually went to Tokyo to spend the holiday with her father and as far as the temple knew, she stayed there for the duration of the three week period. What they didn't know was that Kimiko was only there for a week. As soon as Christmas passed the fire dragon would pack up and head right to Chase's citadel, giving the couple a blessed two weeks together without worry of being discovered. And so, Chase had come home that morning from an overnight errand, expecting his lover to be comfortably settled and waiting for him with her cheerful smile and open arms. What he did not expect was to be kicked out of his own home for the duration of the day.

Chase strode into his citadel rather cheerfully. His errand had ended early, so he was planning to surprise Kimiko, who was not expecting him back until later this afternoon. If he had come home on schedule he would only have had time to change his clothes and leave for his next appointment so the immortal was glad he would be able to spend come time with his lover before he had to leave. A puff of air brought Chase from his thoughts. He stopped in the middle of his throne room and turned to his left. His head general Qin sat near one of the pillars, the tiger's mouth still open from the gasp he had let out moments before. The big cat stood up stiffly and trotted over to Chase.

"You are very early sir." The tiger said, a nervous gleam in his eyes that made Chase curious.

"Is every thing alright Qin?" The Heylin tilted his head as the tiger shifted.

"E-everything is fine its just-"

"Chase!?"

The man in question turned from his second in command and looked at the entrance to his private quarters. The tall mahogany doors were wide open. Within the threshold stood Kimiko, her arms stretched from flinging the doors open and a panicked expression on her face.

"There you are. I finished my errand and I thought I would surprise you."

Chase's smile dropped when he noticed Kimiko's expression. Chase had no time to go to her, however, as the woman strode quickly up to him.

"Your not supposed to be here!" She shouted in a panic as she began pushing him back. Chase's form remained unmoved, the supernatural strength of his body making it impossible for Kimiko to make him budge. What resulted was a rather comical scene that rewarded the woman with nothing but a shortness of breath. Her actions seemed to say that the situation wasn't an emergency, as she would have told him outright rather than resort to this humorous display. Now thoroughly amused, Chase let his lover continue her efforts, a small and amused smile quirking his lips as he looked down at the strained hands pushing at his breastplate.

"And why, my dear, am I not allowed into my own home?" Chase inquired playfully.

At the question Kimiko abruptly stopped her movements, realizing that her attempts were futile. She glared up at him in frustration, her breath coming out in large puffs as she breathed from the exertion. His lover made quite the fetching image, with her cherry red lips parted and a pick flush adorning her cheeks. She looked absolutely adorable and Chase resisted the urge to gather the woman in his arms and kiss her senseless. Instead, he crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, both curiosity and amusement showing in his smirk.

"It's a surprise." Kimiko huffed, putting her hands on her hips and planting her feet in the ground. That, combined with the stubborn air she was exuding, gave Chase a bad feeling.

"I take it that this surprise prevents me from going into my home?" Chase inquired, inwardly deflating when Kimiko emphatically shook her head in the affirmative. Chase sighed dramatically.

"And here I was hoping we could spend the day together." He said mournfully, hoping that his little show would get his lover to budge. He wasn't all that surprised when her expression refused to waver.

"Nice try Chase, but your not stepping one foot inside those doors."

Kimiko straightened, stretching her shoulders out and lifting her chin. Chase truly didn't mind the situation and was in fact rather curious to see what surprise Kimiko had planned for him. He supposed he could just wander around until his appointment but that unfortunately required him to get his clothes, which were in his bedroom. It appeared that his lover wouldn't even let him enter any part of the house and he didn't want her knowing that he needed civilian clothes. He was certain she had no idea what he was doing that day, save for the fact that he needed to run some kind of errand, but the woman was sharp and would question why he needed clothes. It wasn't often that the warlord went to populated areas when he wasn't on a date with her. The woman was naturally curious and god forbid she follow him. Chase began mentally planning in his head and soon came up with a decent solution.

"Don't think that you can get Shadow to help you, she's in on it too." Kimiko said triumphantly.

Chase mentally growled in frustration. The woman knew him too well. Qin was back to his restful position, eying Chase with a lazy sort of amusement. It appeared his second command was in on this little scheme as well. He would have to ask his mate to get him clothes and hope that Shadow would be prudent enough to prevent Kimiko's curiosity from surfacing, although it sounded like his lover was much too busy with whatever preparations she was making to try and find out what he was up to.

"Very well." Chase relented, putting hands up in mock surrender. " I shall stay away until this evening."

"Good." Kimiko replied.

"There is just something I need you to get for me." Kimiko smiled at him, her previous stubborn attitude melting away.

"Sure."

"Could you get me some clothes?" As expected, Kimiko tilted her head curiously and Chase quickly came up with an explanation that would shut her questions down.

"I have a meeting with Panda Bubba for a certain scheme that I can't tell you about for obvious reasons. It is in a very public location so I need regular clothes." Chase explained, hoping his lover had bought the lie. He was relived when her eyes lit up in realization.

"So that's why you were so secretive about where you had to go today." Kimiko smirked. "Ok I get it. I'll get you something to wear for this little scheme I'm sure me and the others are going to thwart."

"Oh we'll see about that." Chase grinned playfully, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against him. Kimiko laughed.

"Somebody's confident. Alright I'll be right back." She said before pecking him on the lips and pushing away.

She walked back to the doors and Chase couldn't help but admire the sway of her hips until they disappeared behind the closing mahogany doors. After a few moments his acute hearing could pick up the muffled sounds of conversation in his kitchen. He couldn't make out the words but he recognized the voices of his mate and apprentice. Shadow sounded rather anxious about something, which was quite unlike her, while Kimiko appeared to be reassuring the woman. The conversation stopped then, assumingly because Kimiko left the room, but he could still hear Shadow talking to herself. He wondered if it perhaps had to do with whatever surprise Kimiko had in mind and decided to stop trying to eavesdrop despite his immense curiosity. Suddenly the doors were opened and Kimiko walked through them, carrying the suitcase in her hands that Chase had packed for their trip to Costa Rica tomorrow.

"Sorry." Kimiko said, frazzled as she hurriedly carried the suitcase to Chase and dropped it at his feet. "I'm in a bit of a hurry and this was already sitting on your bed. I thought it would be fine since Panda Bubba is in Guatemala right now."

He had forgotten Panda Bubba's location. He certainly couldn't dress himself in these clothes to walk the streets of New York. Chase opened his mouth but was interrupted by the sound of a smoke alarm in the distance coupled with the smell of burning food.

"Kimiko! What do I do?!" Shadow's panicked voice rang out from the Kitchen.

"Crap." Kimiko said, distressed. She turned to Chase. "I have to go, see you tonight."

With that Kimiko pecked him on the cheek and sprinted through the doors, slamming them shut behind her before Chase could even get a word in. He glanced down at the suitcase as Qin snickered in the background. Chase turned and glared at him. The traitor. The Tiger immediately pacified his face, although his whiskers were twitching as he suppressed his chuckles. The warlord turned back around with a sigh. He tugged on the zipper and resigned himself to his fate.

And that was how Chase wound up walking the streets of New York looking the way he did. He had ransacked the suitcase for anything appropriate and the closest thing he could find to winter wear was the sweatshirt and jeans he was wearing. Flip flops had been his only option as he had packed the bag thinking he would be walking the sandy beaches of Costa Rica rather than the snowy streets of Manhattan. The giggles from across the street continued and Chase whipped his head around to see three twenty something girls standing in front of a coffee shop. They were all dressed nearly the same in fancy designer coats, leggings that he simply could not believe shielded them from the cold, and a pair of boots that likely cost a fortune. Their hair was board strait, obviously meant to accentuate faces which where caked in hideous amounts of makeup. It was girls like these that Chase normally made sure to stay far away from. One of them had been in the process of digging her cellphone out of her monstrous designer tote bag while the other two already had the device out, cameras at the ready. Chase had to applaud their gall at taking a mocking photo of someone not ten feet away from them. When he turned and faced the three, however, the girls immediately stopped giggling, one of them elbowing the blonde still digging through her tote. They whispered to each other excitedly before walking towards him. Chase inwardly rolled his eyes, having experienced this enough to know what was coming next.

"Can I help you ladies?" He said disdainfully has the trio stopped before him. Unfortunately they did not seem to notice his rather cold attitude as the girls merely smiled at him, a blush tinting their cheeks. The middle blonde, whom he assumed was the group's leader, spoke up.

"Ah we just wanted to make sure you knew that you need an appointment to go in there. It would suck to be embarrassed."

She said the insulting statement so sweetly that Chase wondered if the girl was a complete idiot or just thought he was.

"I could definitely get you in if you want." The brunette to the left said with a haughty cheer, "Daddy is a regular in there."

"We could all go together." The third said. "Those places can be very intimidating."

The girl flipped her fake auburn hair and shot him a coquettish smile, as if she expected him to be charmed by her generosity. Chase got the distinct feeling that had he had a somewhat different face the girls would have already taken their photo and been on their way. The rather idiotic way in which they were attempting to use their wealth to attract him was absolutely pitiful. Chase counted his lucky stars that Kimiko was leagues beyond these father-leeching harpies.

"Thank you for your concern." Chase said, with a sickly sweet tone, " But I do in fact have an appointment, which I do believe is coming up right about now. "

Chase made a show of checking the time, holding up his arm in their line of sight and pulling his sleeve back to reveal a Rolex that likely cost more than all of their handbags combined. The girls blanched, their cheeks now covered in a flush that had nothing to do with his looks.

"You know how strict these places are about appointments I'm sure." Chase said, giving them a kind smile that most obviously did not meet his eyes. "Thank you for your concern, but unfortunately I am here to procure an engagement ring."

The flush now reached down do their necks and the blonde giggled nervously.

"Of course. Good luck with your shopping." She said quickly before scampering past him, her posse trailing closely behind in mortification.

Chase watched them go; satisfied that he had been able to inflict such embarrassment on another human. The incident, and the anticipation of relating the incident to Kimiko, put him in a decidedly good humor. He was as close as he could get to good mood at the moment when he finally opened the glass doors the jeweler, whose name was engraved in the glass with a flourishing cursive. The heylin's mood didn't waver when the receptionist looked him up and down, although the poorly concealed sneer that followed was certainly a test. It appeared his good looks would not prevent him from being treated like a gutter rat in this instance. The woman was young, no more than thirty with a passably attractive face and a black business suit. Her hair was pinned into a tight bun and she wore a pair of rimless glasses. Like many features of Sinclairs, the woman was there to both look professional to the clients and intimidating to the commoners. From the way she was raising her chin, it was likely she had placed him in the latter category. Not that her appearance would even come close to scaring him off. Even if he weren't an immortal martial arts master, the sight of her attempting to stare him down through her nose when he was a good head taller than her made for a rather comical sight. Chase suppressed his snicker, choosing to approach the obviously hostile employee politely.

"Can I help you sir." She said haughtily, obviously expecting him to fumble out some kind of response.

"Why yes." Chase said cordially. "I am here to purchase an engagement ring from you."

He could tell from the glimmer in her eyes that the woman was suppressing a laugh of outrage. Despite the fact that she was a snobby twit, Chase gave her credit for staying somewhat professional.

"I'm sorry sir. Unfortunately you need an appointment to enter this establishment." Her disdain was now fully apparent, as she didn't even try to keep her tone pleasant. "There is a department store on the next street." She smiled sweetly at him "I am sure they will be more than willing to accommodate you."

Immediately after that statement the receptionist looked down behind the counter, examining papers he knew weren't there. Chase kept the smile on his face, although it began to twist as his internal menace began to break through.

"Three o'clock. Thank you for asking." Chase said with pleasant malice, his warped smile still firmly fixed on his face.

The secretary looked up and he could see that if she weren't so good at her job, the woman would have flinched at the rather terrifying smile the man had on his face. Instead, she merely shifted her weight, fingering something under the desk that he suspected was a button.

"I'm sorry?" She asked with a slight wariness.

"My appointment." He explained, "Is at three O'clock." The woman raised an eyebrow.

"I see. My apologies sir." she said, her hand shifting as it moved away from the security button. Chase pushed his malice back inside, thinking that perhaps the woman would treat him just a bit more cordially.

"And how did you come across us sir?" She asked, the snobby disdain once more returning. This time Chase visibly rolled his eyes and was about to give the woman a sound verbal lashing before they were interrupted by a commotion heading towards them from the store's interior.

"No! No! No!" A man shouted, quickly trotting towards the group amongst the glass display cases. He was a tall man, skinny with golden blond hair and baby blue eyes. He briefly reminded Chase of a lover he had a couple hundred years ago, although the man's girlish accent had quickly shattered the image. The person had been one of the most interesting men he knew, and although there hadn't been any romantic affection between them, the man had been one of Chase's good friends while he was alive. Chase felt a bit guilty at comparing him to this primpy snob. He was a bit relieved when the man got closer and Chase was certain that the two didn't look nearly alike to enough for him to be a reincarnation, although Chase was sure Jeffery would have been highly amused to find his next life in the shoes of this hip swaying princess. The man stopped before him, his black Armani suit contrasting with the white marble that coated the walls and floor.

"I've told them over and over that you need to go through the back entrance when delivering here."

The man waved his arms in Chase's face, obviously gesturing him to exit, as if the warlord couldn't understand what he had just said. Chase narrowed his eyes, his humor evaporating quickly. It was one thing to be mistaken for a pauper, but this man definitely crossed the line of his patience.

"Excuse me?" Chase said darkly, crossing his arms and glowering at the man, whose golden nametag designated him Jonathan. This Jonathan proceeded to completely misunderstand exactly what Chase was saying, as he dropped his arms and proceeded to push his face almost nose to nose with the immortal's.

"You need to go to the door in the back. Do you understand?" The man said slowly and loudly, gesturing with a crude sort of sign language.

Oh no he did not.

If it was possible, Chase's expression when from slightly menacing to positively murderous. The receptionist, whom had early born witness to his malice, was beginning to pale and appeared to be looking for an opening to correct her superior, whom still remained shockingly oblivious to Chase's ire.

"You don't even have the food!" Jonathan exclaimed before scoffing loudly and rolling his eyes, turning to glare at the receptionist. "Janet, I've told you to stop ordering our food from that Chinese place." He snapped, now ignoring Chase completely.

Had he not been in public, there was a solid chance that he would have had this man begging for his life by now. The urge to transform into his full armored glory and scare the living daylights out of both of these idiots was strong. Chase knew, however, that he needed to behave. He came here to buy a ring and he had a feeling such a task would be difficult to accomplish if he maimed one of the employees. The warlord closed his eyes, taking a calming breath that suppressed the draconic snarl that had been about to bubble from his lips. He pictured Kimiko's face and the joy he hoped would be on it when he presented his gift to her. With the thought of her wide smile and glittering eyes, Chase managed to calm himself into a somewhat presentable state. He opened his eyes, putting the closest thing he could get to a polite smile on his face and turning to the pair. Jonathan was still scolding Janice, who couldn't even get a single word in to correct his grievous mistake. Chase was honestly surprised she cared this much, although he had the feeling it had something to do with his previous expression. He cleared his throat and both turned to face him.

"You're still here?" Jonathan asked, putting his hands on his hips and arching an eyebrow rudely.

Chase ground his teeth behind his smile.

"I do believe you are mistaken, sir." He bit out politely.

"Apparently, he has an appointment." Janice said, although she sounded rather doubtful. Jonathon began to share her look and Chase had the feeling he would love nothing more than to rudely question him on the matter.

"It should be under the name Young." Chase clarified, hoping to move on already.

Prior to this whole debacle, Chase had actually been looking forward to making this trip and carefully selecting the perfect engagement ring for his mate, more than willing to look through endless amounts of diamonds and settings in order to pick the best ring for her. When Chase does something, he does it right, and Sinclairs had seemed like his most obvious choice. Seeing the way Jonathan was staring at him as if there were a live elephant in the room, Chase was beginning to seriously reconsider his decision. But, he had already made the appointment and the place truly did have the finest selection. He was willing to bear an obnoxious employee or two for Kimiko. It was unfortunate that the second reason Chase had chosen Sinclairs didn't appear to be in at the moment. Maybe then he wouldn't have to stand and wait while Jonathan scrolled through the appointment log on the computer, searching for something Chase knew was already there.

"Ah… I see. And how did you make this appointment exactly?"

Chase kept the image of his delighted lover in his head while maintaining his smile.

"Like everyone else did." Chase said. "Now I would like to move along please. I am in a hurry.

"Very well, come along." Jonathan said, speaking with a tone an exasperated parent would use with their child.

The lack of any sort of apology form the man tested Chase's temper. The two men strode through the store, Jonathan's dress shoes clicking against the while marble floor. They walked past glittering display cases, where diamond soaked necklaces and bracelets were elegantly displayed, the only thing more bedazzling than the pieces being the crystal chandeliers that hung in a line down the length of the store. Vivaldi was playing softly in the background, and the music helped to maintain Chase's calm demeanor in the face of Jonathan's obvious disdain at having to service him. They reach the final third of the store, all of which appeared to be devoted to rings.

"All right lets find something you can buy." Jonathan said without turning around.

He strode briskly over to one of the counters. It was in the corner and not very noticeable. Chase walked up as Jonathan unlocked the display case, narrowing his eyes as the salesman took out a tray of rings and set it on the counter.

"This is all we have that's under two thousand." He said, gesturing to the selection before him. Chase didn't know whether to be insulted by the busk manner in which Jonathan assumed his budget or the fact that the man dared to place such specimens before him. Half of the rings didn't even have diamonds on them, instead decorated with small amethysts and rubies. Those that did have a diamond were barely even half a carat. It was nearly impossible to see them amongst the shining silver bands they were so paltry. If Jonathan thought Chase was even going to think about presenting his lover with such trinkets he had another thing coming. Regardless of this laughable display, Chase remained calm and collected.

"No." Chase said with a sigh. "I'm afraid these are not nearly substantial enough for my tastes. I am looking for a diamond two carats at the very least."

Jonathan snorted, quickly putting his hand over his mouth so as to suppress the laugh that almost escaped. Chase rolled his eyes and walked away before the blond could open his lips. Obviously the little shit wouldn't be very helpful. As Chase walked, he could see Jonathan shaking his head with a smirk, likely thinking he had scared the immortal off. Chase soon proved him wrong as he veered of to one of the more grandiose display cases, finding the selection within to be much more appealing. Each ring was most certainly made of platinum and the diamonds themselves much more reasonably sized. They were beautiful pieces, obviously one of a kind with their unique designs. He perused the display for a moment before something caught his eye.

"Ah..sir?" Jonathan's voice bellowed, as he strode quickly over to Chase's position, although the immortal ignored him, too busy examining the ring at had gained his attention.

It stood on its own stand above the others, a king of kings. The band was platinum, and it shined in the light. The center piece atop it was an array of diamonds, positioned in a shape very similar to a lotus flower, a large diamond nestled in the center. The lotus was a flower of immortality, a bloom that symbolized the eternity he wished to spend with Kimiko. The ring would display the true strength of the love he felt for her, something he had never truly vocalized in her presence. With this, she would know the extent of his feelings for her. It was perfect. Chase let out the smallest of smiles, but then frowned when he inspected it further. It was dazzling yes, but there was something missing, something that would make it unique to his lover.

"Ah the lotus. One of our prized pieces" Jonathan said haughtily. Chase began glancing around the room.

"How many carats is that center diamond?" He asked absently as he surveyed his surroundings. He could hear the rustle of fabric as Jonathan hid his amusement behind his hand.

"Well it's two and a half." Jonathan began, his smirk deepening. "Unfortunately that diamond is of the highest grade in both color and clarity, and along with the others in the piece I'm afraid the ring may be a bit over budget." Chase paused his perusal to look at Jonathan, whom was sporting a rather victorious expression.

"Oh?" Chase said nonchalantly, his eyes suddenly freezing as he caught sight of another display some distance behind Jonathan.

"When taking everything together that piece is about two hundred thousand." Jonathan said, his eyes twinkling.

"Hmm is that all?" Chase said absently as he strode past Jonathan to his destination.

He heard the man huff behind him, obviously irritated at having to follow Chase around like a toddler. Chase ignored him. Before the immortal stood a long glass rectangle. Through the center, a black velvet column ran up to eye-level before flattening out into a circular base. In the middle of the velvet plate sat a glimmering red diamond. It sparkled in the light and the flickering crimson within it reminded Chase of the crackling embers associated with his lover's element.

"Jonathan." He said, knowing without looking that the man had stopped next to him.

"What?" He replied rudely, likely disappointed that he hadn't managed to drive Chase off.

"How many carats is this?"

"If you must know, it's two and a half." He sighed out.

"The same as the lotus ring correct?"

"Yes." Jonathan replied raising an eyebrow.

"This establishment can easily replace one gemstone in a setting with another so long as the replacement is also purchased correct?"

"Yes but… oh my god." Jonathan suddenly doubled over, as the built up amusement of the day burst out of him through the hysterical laughter that was now escaping from his lips.

"And just what is so funny?" Chase asked icily, his patience beginning to wear precariously thin. Jonathan looked up at him incredulity.

"Are you seriously asking to buy a two hundred thousand dollar ring and stick a priceless red diamond in the center?!" the man could barely finish the sentence before another round of laughter burst forth.

"I'm not asking anything. I will be buying it." Chase said, narrowing his eyes dangerously.

"That diamond is worth over seven million dollars!" He forced out. Chase lips began to purse.

"So?" He asked darkly.

"Well look at you!" Jonathan burst out, dramatically flinging his arms in Chase's direction.

It was at that moment that Chase's patience finally snapped. His face contorted into a snarl and he was just about to haul the still laughing man up by the neck when a loud and familiar voice boomed throughout the store.

"And just what is going on here?"

Chase watched as Jonathan straightened, wiping the laughter from his face, although he was smiling broadly.

"Ah Mr. Sinclair." He said with amusement. "You wouldn't believe it but this man…"

"Ah there you are Francis." Chase said pleasantly, turning away from Jonathan to face the man who was walking towards them.

Francis Sinclair was dressed like many of his class, with tan trousers, a white cardigan, and a fashionable navy blazer. The man was already in his late fifties, although his impeccably styled gray hair and aristocratic wrinkles did nothing to diminish the man's youthful vigor. He walked animatedly towards the duo, a smile blooming onto the Jewelry mogul's face as he recognized the shabbily dressed man before him.

"Ah Chase! What a pleasure to see you here!" Francis stopped before the two, his grin widening as he held out a hand to the heylin, completely ignoring Jonathan who was now staring agape.

"The pleasure is all mine Francis." Chase replied cordially, shaking the millionaire's hand.

"My receptionist called me and said there was a troublesome costumer, but here I got a pleasant surprise instead!" Francis said with a laugh.

"I'm sorry sir, but you know this man?" Jonathan cut in, beginning to look both curious and nervous.

Francis turned to him with a smile, although there was a glimmer in his eyes that told Chase he was not happy at having been interrupted.

"Of course!" He bellowed joyfully, putting an arm around Chase's shoulder. "Me and Chase go way back. We did a lot of investing together. This guy's got a gift for finding profitable ventures."

He turned away form Jonathan, whom was beginning to look distressingly pale, addressing Chase.

"By the way, what brings you here, my friend." He asked cheerfully.

"I am actually here for an engagement ring."

"Are you now?" Francis replied with happy surprise.

"And of course." Chase continued with a smile, shooting a sidelong glance at Jonathan, who stared back in panic. "I wouldn't even think about going anywhere else."

"I'm honored!" Francis grinned, "She must be quite the lady."

Chase smiled softly.

"She certainly is."

"I never thought I'd see this guy tie the knot in my lifetime, probably not even my grand kid's lifetime!" He cackled, turning towards Jonathan whom, despite his distress, looked absolutely perplexed, staring at Chase.

"Oh right." Francis said, noticing Jonathan's confusion. He laughed. "Chase here is old enough to have walked with dinosaurs!"

"Now Francis." Chase replied with amusement. "I'm only fifteen hundred."

Jonathan's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his skull. Chase hoped he felt as mortified as he looked at having treated an immortal with such indignity. The warlord shot him a smirk of satisfaction, and the man visibly flinched.

"So do you have any idea what you're looking for?" Francis asked, getting to business.

"Well I have been here for quite some time." Chase said, looking straight at Jonathan.

"I hope my staff has been accommodating." Francis replied, shooting his own furtive look at the now sweating blond.

"It was the funniest thing actually." Chase began, unable to keep the smirk of his face. "It seems your man here thought I was a Chinese delivery boy."

"Did he now?" Francis replied, the smile still on his face.

The gleam in his eyes was positively deadly as he looked at his employee. Jonathan was nearly quaking in his shoes and Chase decided that whatever punishment the boy would receive once he left was vengeance enough. He had a ring to buy.

"Anyways." Chase moved on. "I do believe I have found what I am looking for." He finished, pointing to the display case that held the ring.

"Ah the lotus." Francis replied proudly, "One of my favorites. A fine piece."

"Indeed." Chase agreed. "Might I get a look at it?" He inquired.

"Of course!" Francis smiled. He looked at Jonathan and glared. "You heard the man." He snapped. "Bring him the ring!"

"Y-yes sir." Jonathan scuttled to the display case, opening the container and gingerly producing the ring from within it.

"I do love the ring." Chase began as Jonathan scurried back up to them. "But I was thinking of replacing the center diamond with something with a bit more color." He finished, deftly plucking the jewelry from Jonathan's hand. He held it up for a moment and gestured to the display case before them. Francis broke out into an even wider grin.

"Your interested in our red diamond I see." He said, his head nodding towards the priceless gem.

"Nothing but the best for my lady." Chase replied, returning the grin with a slightly smaller smile. He handed the ring to Francis who examined it.

"It shouldn't be a problem." He said after a moment. "The diamonds are nearly the same size."

"Excellent. I can expect to have the ring today?" Chase asked.

"Naturally." Francis replied with a smile. "Why don't you come up to my office? We'll draw up the papers and have a drink or two while we wait."

"You do have some excellent burgundy." Chase replied. Francis grinned before scoffing playfully.

"And for heavens sake Chase, you can loose the outfit."

"I wouldn't want to startle your employees." Chase said, raising an eyebrow. Francis waved his hand.

"Nonsense! If they can't handle it then they can go find other employment." He said, glancing at Jonathon.

Chase sighed happily and with a snap of his fingers his old clothing was gone, replaced by his usual armored appearance, the gold plating of his attire shining amongst the jewels on display. His eyes changed from their earlier brown to the golden shine they normally displayed, the now reptilian pupils narrowing as he fixed Jonathan with a bored look. If the salesmen had been panicked before in the face of his employer, her was absolutely terrified at the sight of Chase's undisguised form. The warrior grinned at Francis, revealing slightly sharpened canines.

"It is a relief to be in more comfortable attire."

Francis didn't reply, only chuckling and turning towards an ashen Jonathan.

"Get this done in an hour." He ordered, handing him the ring and boring holes into his face.

The man merely nodded quickly, casting one more wary glance at Chase before turning on his heel and practically bolting away to one of the side doors.

"That'll teach him to learn how to behave like a professional."

Francis turned back to Chase, gesturing to another door with his hand.

"Shall we?"

"Yes. I've been walking around all day." Chase replied, smiling as he followed the man through the door.

It was seven O'clock when Chase returned home. Finding the ring he wanted hadn't taken as much time as he though it would. Had Kimiko not been so obviously dependent on him keeping the schedule he had told her the day before, Chase might have returned early. He knew though, that he would have likely been booted back out of his house, as he had been earlier. Instead Chase talked with Francis a bit before going to the park. The dragon man stayed in the more heavily forested areas, where most pedestrians wouldn't venture due to the cold, allowing him to keep his normal attire and stay much warmer. He chose to traverse the park partly to kill time and partly to come up with some sort of game plan for how he was going to propose. The fiasco at Sinclairs had distracted him from the reality of the situation and had kept his nerves at bay. Once he was alone, however, the anxiety began to return and Chase knew he needed time to sort himself out before he faced Kimiko. He honestly had no idea how she would react. Chase knew she loved him and he knew he loved her but he didn't know if that love was strong enough to overcome the fact that the fire dragon would likely have to, at some point, leave her friends to be with him. It was a choice between the temple and her lover and a decent part of him feared she would choose the former. When seven O'clock rolled around, Chase found himself standing in his foyer with butterfly's in his stomach and absolutely no clue how tonight was going to play out.

He strode up to the iron doors and stopped, his hand hovering on the knob. He took a deep breath and firmly gripped the handle, pushing one of the doors open and sliding in. The barrier creaked in protest as it shut behind him and Chase squinted his eyes before they adjusted to the dim lighting, his natural night vision kicking in immediately. He stared in wonder. The lights were completely off, replaced by dozens of candles that were placed throughout. A heavenly aroma wafted from the Kitchen and Chase took a long, pleasurable breath. He moved towards the door that led to the source before it opened in front of him. Kimiko slid through the opening, her eyes lighting up upon seeing him.

"You're right on time." She said, her eyes twinkling.

Chase could only stare for a moment. She wore a lovely red dress that ended just above her knees and hugged her curves perfectly. Her swan like neck and bare shoulders were exposed, unshielded by the elaborate up-do she wore her hair in. Seeing her here, in all her splendor, before him made what Chase was about to do all the more real.

"You look beautiful." He said with a smile, his true anxiety perfectly camouflaged. "I take it this is my surprise?"

"Part of it." Kimiko answered with a smile. "The rest is this way."

She took his hand in hers and led him to the dining room, opening the door and revealing her true surprise. Had Chase been anyone other than himself, his mouth would have hung agape. The dining room was lit in a similar fashion as the hallway, with soft Jazz playing through a small speaker holding Kimiko's phone. Upon the long table stood a feast, although that was putting it lightly. Every single one of Chase's favorite dishes was on display, each seemingly prepared to perfection. At the end of the table were two place settings, one at the head and other directly adjacent, the former having a steaming bowl of Lao Mang Lone soup atop the dinner plate. A bottle of vintage red wine was perched between the two settings along with two glasses.

"Surprised?" Kimiko asked, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, a twinge of Jasmine perfume entering his nostrils.

"Did you make all of this?" Chase asked in wonder, turning around and returning the embrace.

"Well Shadow helped me a bit, although teaching her how to cook some of these things was an adventure." She replied, smiling in amusement. Chase leaned down, touching her lips softly with his own.

"This is lovely." He said after he pulled away.

"I'm glad." She breathed softly before untangling herself from his arms and lacing their hands together. She tugged lightly on his hand.

"Well I'm starving so lets eat!" She exclaimed with a smile and Chase let her lead the way to the dinner table.

They took their time eating, enjoying the flavors of the food and each others company. They kept conversation light, talking about the most mundane things like why Ping-Pong and Omi seem to be twins or Dojo's unhealthy obsession with Master Fung. It was a casual sort of intimacy that made the scene rather domestic. After seeing Kimiko's smiling face and laughing eyes all evening, it was something Chase wanted to keep with him forever. He wanted to wake up to those smiling lips every morning for the rest of his life. Throughout dinner, Chase fingered the small box hidden in his pocket, his nerves steadily increasing as the meal came to a close. When Kimiko began clearing the plates, Chase decided that he was sick of feeling so out of sorts. As she began to lift another plate the immortal gripped her wrist. Kimiko looked at him curiously.

"Leave that for now." He began, inwardly fumbling for a way to get her to a suitable setting for his proposal.

"It's still pretty early." She said, the side of her lips quirking in amusement. "I was hoping we could watch a movie together or something."

"Ah, you misunderstand." He amended, thanking her inwardly for giving him the perfect location. "I was hoping for the same thing, I just didn't want you to do so much work."

"It's fine really." She insisted. Chase waved his hand.

"Let the servants do it later." He said quickly.

"If you say so." Kimiko replied setting the plate down and shooting him a dazzling smile. Chase swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.

"To the den it is then." His lover said, picking up both of their glasses with one hand and the unfinished bottle of wine with the other. Chase followed her silently out of the dining room and into the den. Kimiko set her load on the coffee table before taking of her heels and putting them at the end of the large leather sofa. Her bare feet slapped against the white carpet as she made her way to the wide flat screen TV, pressing the power button and grabbing the remote underneath it. Chase stood behind the sofa, staring.

"You've been awfully quiet since dinner ended." Kimiko said as she began to poor more wine into his glass.

"Kimiko." He blurted suddenly.

"Hmmm?" She hummed setting his glass down and moving to fill her own.

"Marry me."

Kimiko dropped the glass she was holding. It crashed onto the floor, the red wine spilling out and staining the carpet. She paid it no mind, however as she stared at him with wide, shocked eyes.

"Chase," She stammered "I.."

"I know what our situation is." Chase said, moving to stand in front of her, taking both of her shaking hands in his. "But I also know that I love you too much to even think about letting you go."

Kimiko continued to stare at him, and he could see the beginning of tears beginning to form in her eyes. His entire body began to grow cold, but he pressed on.

"I understand we can't do this right away but I'm willing to wait. The Wu are going to die down soon and when that happens…won't you become my wife."

Chase reached into his pocket and pulled out the black velvet box, opening and presenting the glimmering lotus ring, the red diamond at its center glimmering brightly. Kimiko began backing away from him, covering her mouth with both hands as tears cascaded down her face. Chase deflated, the tiny shreds of his heart that had managed to survive the centuries breaking.

"I-I understand." Chase said quietly, trying his best not to let his despair seep through. He squeezed his eyes shut and shut the box with a click that shocked Kimiko out of her trance. Chase began to turn away.

"You idiot!" She shrieked moving forward and yanking his arm. He spun back around and Kimiko snatched the box right out of his hand.

"Of course I'll marry you!" She shouted through her tears, clutching the box to her chest.

"You were crying!" Chase accused, although a wave of warmth shot through him.

"Of course I was crying!" Kimiko shot back, astonished. "That was the first time you said you loved me." Kimiko sniffled. "I was so happy when you said that." She finished softly.

Chase walked up to her, taking the box form her hands.

"I thought you were rejecting me." He said with exasperation while gathering her in his arms. He rested his chin on top of her head.

"Don't scare me like that."

"You surprised me." Kimiko said, her voice muffled against his chest. She moved her head to the sighed, glancing down at the generous wine stain.

"You're going to have to replace that carpet." Kimiko snorted. "Serves you right for your terrible timing."

"You mean we're going to need to replace the carpet." Chase said with a chuckle before gently maneuvering her to sit on the sofa. He took the ring from the box and Kimiko sucked in a breath as she got her first good look at it.

"That better not be a red diamond I'm looking at."

Chase smiled in amusement.

"Only the best for my fiancée." He said, slipping the ring onto her finger. It looked perfect on her, as Chase knew it would. He watched her admire it for a moment before latching an arm around her waist and pulling her to him. Kimiko placed her hand on his chest, resting her head in the crook of his neck as she curled against him. Chase began flipping through the channels in search of a movie to watch, absently stroking his fiancée's hip with his thumb.

"By the way," She said after a moment "Is that what your errand was?"

Chase merely nodded.

"Where did you go?" She asked and Chase snorted.

"Funny story actually…"


End file.
